Christmas and Heading Home

I couldn't get very many good pictures of our Christmas with the Jones'. The lighting was bad and I was still trying to figure out how to use the camera and something besides auto. But here are a couple pictures.

Stickers with Emma.

Annabelle and Eedie with their super cute wool pouches they got from Emma and Fletcher.

The pouches had gum and some lip gloss that Annabelle is applying here.

Vivian just chillaxin'.

Heading home...

The morning we were getting ready to fly out to Tokyo, we walked in to find Eedie had puked all over. We were super nervous she was going to be sick the whole way, but apparently, as there were no other incidents, she just had too much candy the night before!

Back on the plane, in the bassinet.

The flight was 11 hours going back from LA to Tokyo!

This was a special Christmas dinner. Turkey with gravy, potatoes, brussel sprouts, dressing, a roll, some kind of shrimp couscous salad, and a chocolate swiss roll. We flew back on Christmas Eve and ended up getting back Christmas Day. Mike had to work the 26th.

 For some entertainment on the way back...

We had foam sticker presents for our trees...

...and Minnie Mouse activity kits....

along with treats and movies on the Kindle. The girls watched Dinosaur Train. They probably would have watched it the entire time if we let them, they love that show. Eedie slept the best, about 5-6 hours and Annabelle only slept for 2. Vivian was in and out and mostly did pretty well.

It's nice to have our own space back and everything, but we were super sad to leave. We'll just have to try and keep ourselves busy this next year and a half.

Natural History Museuem in SLC

We visited the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake before we left. It was lots of fun.

We bought a new camera while we were in the states and I'm still learning how to use it. So some of these pictures do not look very good at all. But I'm getting a little better! You may not be able to tell from the next couple of post though. =)

Fishing in the creek.

Looking at insects under magnifying glasses.

Emma and Annabelle

Annabelle didn't want to sit in the dinosaur footprint.

Eedie running around on glass with dinosaur bones underneath.

Eedie compared to a big dinosaur.

They had a little sand box where you could brush away the sand to find the bones.

Eedie was loving all the dinosaurs.

If you turned the crank, water started spraying from out of that facet.

Those marbles rolled down and some would get stuck in the "grass" sticking up.

Putting together ancient vases.

You tried to build to structure and then the bottom would shake like an earthquake.

Their construction could not handle the earthquake.

They tried again.

Playing in the sand and water with Emma, Jenny and Fletcher.

All kinds of moths and butterflies.

A Madagascar beetle.

I can't remember what kind of insect this was. I obviously learned so much at the museum! I was just too interested in trying to figure out how to take pictures, I didn't really even learn about the things I was taking pictures of!

Annabelle didn't want to hold it.

But Eedie didn't mind it.

That's right, get the little sister to do it!

Mike with the beetle.

Putting together all the parts of a cell.

Eedie and Emma with their cell parts. If I remembered biology at all, I could tell you what parts those are.

All the kids helping with the cell.

Cousins!

This was on the deck of the museum.

Oh Salt Lake, how beautiful you are.

Salt Lake Part 3

We took the girls up into the mountains to see some deep snow.We just went a little ways up one of the trails. It was a bit cold for them.

We tried to get a family picture but it was so bright with the sun on the snow...

...I couldn't keep my eyes open.

This was the best one we got.

We made snow angels.

Daddy helping Annabelle do one.

Annabelle made Grandpa Jones carry her on the way back down.

When we got back down to the car, we tried a make-shift sled.

Annabelle didn't want to try.

Eedie wasn't a fan after we started to pull her down the hill...

...so I got on and tried with her...

...and the box broke!

After we got home from the mountains...

Barney made an appearance.

This costume was found at a DI (Deseret Industries... basically like a Goodwill). It's been worn to various sporting events, made a number of ski runs, and once even worn on the bobsled track at Park City by a Skeleton slider. It has been passed around a good deal. But when no one else had a place to store it, it ended up at the Jones' house.

Mike went skiing with his friend Ed and the girls wanted to test out the skies.

Eedie's turn!

Just a couple more Salt Lake post coming up...